Credit

credited As

Mariah Carey is facing a lawsuit from a former assistant who alleges the pop superstar owes her overtime payments.
Ylser Oliver, 49, claims she began working for Carey in March, 2007 and undertook jobs such as tidying the singer's New York home, answering phones, grocery shopping and packing suitcases, often working 16-hour days.
Oliver, who quit in June (14), alleges she often worked seven days a week without meal breaks or proper overtime pay, and she is now suing the star over claims she is owed time-and-a-half pay when working more than 40 hours a week, according to the New York Post.
Oliver's lawyer Matthew Blit tells the publication, "My client put her family's life on hold while tending to Mariah Carey's family, and Mariah repaid her by underpaying her... My client is a very hardworking woman who treated Mariah and her family like her own, working all hours of the day and night. Even celebrities are required to abide by the law."
Blit adds that his client is demanding a "significant amount of money".
Carey's spokeswoman Cindi Berger says, "I can't comment on anything that I'm not aware of and we haven't heard anything about this lawsuit."

It's December, so many lists and awards are coming out to celebrate the best of the best in entertainment for 2014. TIME just released their list of the top 15 most influential fictional characters of this year and some of them may surprise you. Although they give the reason behind each pick, we thought we would give you how we were influenced because they aren't always the same.
15. Hello Kitty
How she influenced others: The cartoon character went viral for being outted as not a cat, but human girl who lives in London with her family. Wuhhhhh?
thejapanstory.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: We still buy Hello Kitty everything!
biancuhh209.tumblr.com
14. Tracy McConnell on How I Met Your Mother
How she influenced others: Fans went crazy for finally finding out who this mysterious character is. There were headlines everywhere covering the last season and a lot of discussion about the ending.
hernance.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: WARNING, SPOILER! She proved to us just how messed up TV can be because this whole time we watch to find this big love story and it ends with her just being a vessel for Ted (Josh Radnor) to have his kids (because we all know Robin (Cobie Smuders) wouldn't do that). Then she conveniently dies so Robin, who is now the aunt of their kids, can step back in his love life. Gross!
hernance.tumblr.com
13. Amy Dune from Gone Girl
How she influenced others: This complicated character made waves by creating a discussion about dark, female characters.
chrispratt.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: We didn't read the book, so our minds EXPLODED leaving the theater.
fudgeickles.tumblr.com
12. Mr. Poo
How he influenced others: Public deification is a big problem in India so Mr. Poo was created to nip that problem in the bud. Thanks to him, one million people pledged to find a toilet to poo.
YouTube
How he influenced us: THIS IS US NEVER HEARING ABOUT THIS BEFORE!
Giphy
11. Rust Cohle from True Detective
How he influenced others: After the detective mentioned the book, The King in Yellow, people began buying it like crazy on Amazon.
pottering.co.vu
How he influenced us: We're guilty, we got the book, and it was the first time in a long time that we've read.
mcgregorwench.tumblr.com
10. Female Thor
How she influenced others: When Marvel released the news that Thor was being relaunched as a woman it made huge rounds on the internet and started many discussions about women in the comic book world.
huffingtonpost.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: We couldn't wait. We already needed to cosplay as her!
backtoblackxxx.tumblr.com
9. Annalise from How To Get Away With Murder
How she influenced others: A New York Times TV critic deduced Shonda Rhimes' new character as an "angry black woman." Shonda Rhimes responded to the disgusting accusation.
faeriviera.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: She had us glued to the television every week trying to dissect her great big plan.
Giphy
8. Hatsune Miku, a computer-generated Japanese singer
How she influenced others: The computer sensation made it to America thanks to performing at Madison Square Garden on Lady Gaga's tour and then performing on The Late Show With David Letterman.
spazz.derpyhooves.com
How she influenced us: We broke our necks so hard looking at Hatsune perform for the first time. What is HAPPENING?!
ericparadise.tumblr.com
7. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games franchise.
How she influenced others: She isn't just hot girl kicking butt to some people. In Thailand and Hong Kong this fictional character actually inspired pro-democracy protestors to stand up for their own rights in their countries. Very awesome!
Giphy
How she influenced us: So wait...Katniss doesn't fight in Mockingjay? And is a politician now?
Giphy
6. Maura Pfefferman from Transparent
How she influenced others: Maura has made headlines for being the first transgender character lead to a TV show.
televisiongif.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: We cheered because we love seeing progress in entertainment!
Giphy
5. King Joffrey from Game of Thrones
How he influenced others: TIME gives credit to this character as the reason the hit show has made it to 18.4 million viewers each week. We buy it.
Giphy
How he influenced us: When Joffrey finally gets what coming to him, we couldn't help but dance.
Giphy
4. Stephen Colbert from The Colbert Report
How he influenced others: The satire host stepped on a few toes making a joke about the Washington Redskins leading to a lot of backlash on Twitter. He also made the huge announcement that he's leaving his show to take over The Late Show.
Giphy
How he influenced us: Our eyes might have fogged up at the thought of losing Colbert Report.
Giphy
3. Star-Lord from Guardians of The Galaxy
How he influenced others: Not only was the movie a big hit, but so was the soundtrack, which made it to the top of Billboard 200.
Giphy
How he influenced us: We admittedly became hipsters and had to get the soundtrack on tape.
ernbenauer.tumblr.com
2. Kim Kardashian from Kim Kardashian Hollywood
How she influenced others: The reality star made over $200 million off of her mobile game. So basically everyone has been downloading and most likely spending real money to buy things in the game.
holy-spearit.tumblr.com
How she influenced us: We might have caved in and downloaded it out of curiosity. We hate ourselves for it.
ughhowell.tumblr.com
1. Elsa from Frozen
How she influenced others: Frozen has been everywhere since it released and Elsa's hit "Let It Go" rightfully earned an Oscar. The fictional character was so good, that it was immediately on Once Upon A Time, which bumped up their ratings.
Giphy
How she influenced us: We have a new favorite karaoke jam!
Giphy
How did these 15 characters influence you this year? Tell us your answers by tweeting the Twitter handles below!
Follow @hollywood_com
//
Follow @nikkibernice
//

NBC via Getty Images
True pop culture connoisseurs are willing to give just about every genre, series, miniseries, director or film a try. But even though they're just as excited for the new Marvel movie as they are the latest indie from Richard Linklater, or watch both Breaking Bad and The Bachelorette, there's still one genre that most TV buffs are reluctant to sample. We are, of course, referring to the cooking show, likely the preferred Sunday afternoon programming of your parents. But cooking shows are more than just drawn out recipes from stiff, snobby chefs; they're exciting and interesting and sometimes, even dangerous. In an effort to encourage television fiends to expand their horizons even further, we've pulled together some of our favorites and matched them to their pop culture equivalent, so you can find the show or competition that's right for your appetite. Even if you don't find a new addition to your DVR, at least you've got something new to eat during your next Netflix binge.
If You Like Nancy Meyers’ Movies, Try Barefoot Contessa If you’re watching a Nancy Meyers film, you’re probably someone who appreciates a middle-aged romance, a linen pant and an expensive kitchen. Ina Garten’s show is ostensibly about teaching people how to cook delicious, rustic dishes, but it’s really about her beautiful home in the Hamptons, where’s she always throwing together something in her impeccably designed kitchen for an impromptu – but perfectly designed – get together. And since her husband Jeffrey often wanders in to fawn over her, all it’s really missing is Diane Keaton.
If You Like Scandal, Try Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee On Scandal, Olivia Pope can solve even the most intimidating, impossible-looking presidential problems with efficiency, and spends a significant amount of time contemplating her life while drinking wine in an expensive cardigan. Sandra Lee does the exact same thing on Semi-Homemade, only the problem is how to turn a bunch of processed, canned foods into something that’s even remotely edible. Unlike Olivia, unfortunately, she doesn't always succeed.
If You Like Channing Tatum, Try Anything with Bobby Flay Channing Tatum has carved out a niche in Hollywood by being good-looking and likable, no matter what kind of film he’s in. Comedy, romance, action, it doesn’t matter – you’re not really there for the plot, you just want to watch a Channing Tatum movie. When you want that kind of comfortable entertainment from your cooking shows, turn to Bobby Flay. It doesn’t matter which show you choose. He has a million of them, and they’re all just as likable and inoffensive as the others.
If You Like True Blood, Try Nigella Feasts Chances are you lost track of the plot of True Blood about three seasons ago and are now just tuning in for the sheer amount of skin on display. What’s Joe Manganiello saying? Who cares, just look at him. If you’re looking for a cooking show that will be equally uncomfortable to watch with your parents, you’re looking for Nigella Lawson, who treats food the way the rest of us treat Alexander Skarsgaard and Ryan Kwanten. What’s she making? It doesn’t matter. Just look at it.
If You Like Glee, Try 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray Only a few people have stuck with Glee this long into its run. They’re the kind of people who are willing to ignore just about anything in favor of upbeat dance numbers, familiar characters, and bright colors. They’re also the kind of people who would love 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, another acquired taste. You want questionable dialogue? People talking enthusiastically in the loudest, most theatrical voice possible? Comfortable guilty pleasures? A set designed in shades of tangerine? This is the show for you.
WENN/Carrie Devorah
If You Like Everything Michael Bay's Created, Try Guy’s Big Bite You’re a person with simple tastes: you want loud, explosive action scenes, very little plot, lots of incoherent shouting and as many punching robots as humanly possible. Sure, you might get teased by friends who think they have better sensibilities, but you know you’re not alone in your preferences. Luckily, there’s a cooking show just for you, hosted by the culinary equivalent of Michael Bay – Guy Fieri – in which he makes loud, obnoxious, potentially explosive food that forgoes any kind of subtlety for punching you in the face with flavors.
If You Like True Detective, Try Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown This isn’t a straightforward cooking show, but then True Detective isn’t a straightforward murder mystery show. Both feature a complicated, charming anti-hero with a penchant for foul language, who sets out in search of meaning and mystery. it just so happens that instead of solving a crime, Anthony Bourdian is hunting down obscure delicacies. All of the action, adventure, beautiful cinematography, and potential for weird crushes are still in tact, though. Don’t you worry.
If You Like The Hunger Games, Try Top Chef Do you like televised competitions in which one person must outsmart, outwit, and out-maneuver everyone else, please judges who have the ability to bestow gifts and advantages on them, utilize their individual skills in creative ways, form alliances and teams in order to support one another, all in hte interest of coming out on top? The only difference between The Hunger Games and Top Chef is that nobody dies on the latter. Although, someone did cut off a finger once…
If You Like Harry Potter, Try Jamie Oliver For many people, the Harry Potter series was an introduction to a lifelong love of reading, British culture, fantasy worlds and fandom, among other things. Likewise, Jamie Oliver is often an entryway into the world of cooking shows. He’s handsome and charming, easy to follow, and cooks simple, classic meals with all of the manic enthusiasm of Daniel Radcliffe. The first time you ever saw someone make traditional British food? It was probably Jamie Oliver. Plus, like Harry, he’s the star of an epic series of his own, with somewhere between two and 12 shows airing on some channel at any given time.
If You Like Friday Night Lights, Try Chuck’s Day Off As many Friday Night Lights fans know, sometimes the best programs are the ones very few people are watching, and that’s true of the Cooking Channel show Chuck’s Day Off. In this series, our culinary Tim Riggins, Chuck Hughes, takes us through the process of cooking classic, simple food with his laid-back, good ol' boy charm. At some point, before you’re entirely ready, you’ll be done with all the episodes, feeling empty, hungry, and a little bit in love. And like with Friday Night Lights, you’ll spend a significant amount of time trying to convince your friends to give it a shot, promising it’s “not just about cooking, I promise!”
Follow @hollywood_com
//
Follow @julesemm
//

Former Lostprophets stars would have killed frontman Ian Watkins if they had realised he was a child molester. Watkins, 36, was convicted of a catalogue of sickening abuse last year (13), including the attempted rape of a baby, and he was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for his crimes.
His bandmates initially hoped the allegations were "all a mistake", but they were horrified when Watkins pleaded guilty, and now they have insisted they would have reacted violently if they had known about the singer's abuse before he was arrested.
Guitarist Lee Gaze tells BBC Newsbeat, "How could you know? How would you know? Who would disclose such a thing to five people who have eight children? You just wouldn't because they would be killed on the spot."
He went on to add that the rest of the band had grown so distant from Watkins that he believes they would have split up regardless of the abuse case, adding, "He was doing his own thing. That just grew worse over the years, the more he was using drugs. He could be in the same city as me and I wouldn't hang out with him, even if we weren't playing shows."
Lostprophets split in the aftermath of Watkins' arrest, and the five remaining bandmates - Gaze, Mike Lewis, Stuart Richardson, Jamie Oliver and Luke Johnson - formed a new group, No Devotion.

Former Lostprophets star Stuart Richardson smashed a platinum record to pieces in anger at frontman Ian Watkins' sickening child sex offences. Watkins was convicted of a number of shocking abuse charges, including the attempted rape of a baby, last year (13). He was sentenced to 35 years behind bars and the band, which formed in Wales in 1997, split shortly after.
Now members Richardson and Lee Gaze have spoken out about their shock and disgust for their disgraced ex-bandmate and the music they made with him.
Speaking to Britain's The Guardian, bassist Richardson explained how he believes their music has been tarnished by Watkins' actions, and he recently vented his fury by smashing an award he received for sales of their hit third album Liberation Transmission.
He says, "I don't know how his badness can't cancel out our music. We had platinum records in our houses, awards. I smashed Liberation Transmission the other day. The rest are in the garage and they'll probably never come out again."
Glaze adds that he will never be able to listen to their material from that time again: "I can't. It's tainted, because he was the voice of the band, and it was his lyrics."
They also reveal how they confronted Watkins in 2012 when his drug taking got out of hand. Glaze adds, "We had an intervention with him to get him off coke, and he denied he was doing it, and then a year later he was addicted to crystal meth. The gigs in 2012 were awful - on tour, he was barely functioning; he'd miss cues for songs and wasn't interacting with (the) audience. He really didn't spend much time with us. I'm quite a loner, anyway, and we weren't close... We were operating on a fractured basis, where we would only get together to do our job."
The pair has since formed a new band, Lost Devotion, with other ex-Lostprophets rockers Mike Lewis, Jamie Oliver and Luke Johnson. Former Thursday star Geoff Rickly is acting as frontman.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Everett Collection
Whether you loved the way it neatly wrapped things up or hated the cheesy fairy tale ending it gave the series, the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been, for the most part, the only real glimpse that fans got at the lives of Harry, Ron, and Hermione after their time at Hogwarts concluded. Though many have been able to get their fix of the Wizarding World through the snippets that J.K. Rowling has posted on Pottermore, she's been silent on the fate of the Golden Trio and the rest of Dumbledore's Army... until Tuesday morning, that is. In honor of the Quidditch World Cup — which conveniently coincides with the muggle world's World Cup — the author has released a series of short stories and mock articles about the game, its history, and now its famous spectators.
But while the always reliable Rita Skeeter has filled us in on what Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny have been up to in the years since school (working as an Auror, helping George run Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, working up the ranks in the Ministry, and becoming a Quidditch reporter, respectively), there are still so many more characters whose fates were not addressed. In fact, Rita's article brings up more questions than answers, since everything it reveals leaves us wanting to know more about the Wizarding World. On the off chance that Rowling is looking for inspiration for another Pottermore update, we'd recommend she start by tackling some of these burning questions:
Where’s Draco Malfoy? We don’t expect Draco to be hanging out with Dumbledore’s Army any more now than he did when they were all at Hogwarts, but does Rowling really expect us to believe that he would pass up any opportunity to swan around a VIP area and brag about his success, real or exaggerated? Surely, if everyone were gathering at the World Cup, he would be there, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle and ready to start a fight, just as he always was. Draco Malfoy never shies away from a potential spotlight.
Did Lee Jordan Ever Make It as a Quidditch Announcer? Perhaps the greatest sports announcers – real or fictional – of all time, Lee Jordan had a gift for adding color and sass to even the most boring of calls, and even if Professor McGonagall didn’t appreciate his admittedly biased reporting, readers certainly did. It’s hard to imagine a career that suits the Weasley twins’ former partner-in-crime better.
How Does Rita Have Trouble Telling the Weasley Boys Apart? They might all have red hair, freckles and hand-me-down clothes, but all of the Weasley boys are distinct entities, and if she’s already got Ron and Bill down, it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to figure out the other three. Here’s a cheat sheet: if he looks self-important, slightly nerdy, and wears glasses, it’s Percy; if he’s ruggedly handsome and desert-worn, it’s Charlie, and if he has one ear, is constantly joking around and seems like there should be another one of him standing right there, it’s George.
Has Luna Mellowed Out Since School? Rita seems intrigued by Luna’s World Cup outfit, but we’re a little disappointed by it. What happened to the elaborate roaring lion’s head she broke out for a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match in the sixth book? Where are her radish earrings or her Spectrespecs or her colorful shoes? This is the tamest Luna costume we’ve seen, and it makes us a bit worried that she’s lost some of her unique, spacey edge.
What Did Hannah Abbott Do Before She Married Neville? The epilogue revealed a bit about what the other potential Boy Who Lived has been up to since school has ended, but we know next to nothing about the new Mrs. Longbottom. What were her school years like? What did she get her OWLs in? How did she and Neville meet and fall in love? How long have they been married? What did she do for work before deciding to become a Healer and move to Hogwarts with Neville? Forget the Marauders; we want to hear a lot more about Neville and Hannah.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Everett Collection
Where’s Angelina Johnson? There’s no way that the former Gryffindor Captain would let her husband George Weasley attend the Quidditch World Cup without her. After all, this is the one person who was as obsessed with the sport as Oliver Wood, who captained the team with a drive and determination that would have made even her predecessor request a day off. The only possibly explanation, therefore, is that she’s a Chaser on the English National Team and was getting ready for the match at the time Rita observed her friends.
Is Hagrid Still Working at Hogwarts? That mention of Neville and Hannah hoping to move to the school’s grounds reminded us of the only non-dormitory living quarters we’ve seen: Hagrid’s hut. So, naturally, we’re curious as to what the Wizarding World’s foremost foster parent to dangerous animals is up to now. Is he still working as the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds? Did he and Madame Maxime ever manage to work things out? Did he ever get his pet dragon? For the sake of everyone else on the Hogwarts grounds, we’re hoping the answer to that last one is still “no.”
Is Professor McGonagall Still Headmaster? She was, after all, the natural successor to Dumbledore. And more importantly, is she still the toughest, kindest, smartest, most sensible and admirable woman in the Wizarding World? Actually, we can just answer that one ourselves. She definitely is.
Who’s the Current Minister of Magic? We know that the Department of Magical Transportation falls under Percy’s jurisdiction, and that Hermione is, as expected, quickly working her way up the ranks at the Ministry, and is currently the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement. But what we don’t know is who Hermione would potentially be outsing as Minister of Magic, should she ascend to the position. Last we heard, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt, but knowing the Wizarding World as well as we do, it’s entirely possible that power has changed hands since then.
Who Is Still Hiring Rita Skeeter as a Writer? Was the Daily Prophet so desperate for subscriptions that they kept her on? Or does the Wizarding World have its own version of TMZ, where Rita can write and publish all of the gossip her QuickQuotesQuill can possibly come up with? Is there a publication out there that could keep up with the sheer number of slander lawsuits she’s probably had filed against her?
Charlie Weasley Is Basically the Wizarding World’s Equivalent of George Clooney, Right? Handsome bachelor, more focused on his glamorous job than his love life, unlikely to settle down any time soon, but making people swoon everywhere he goes? All Charlie needs is a villa in Italy, and they’d be the exact same person.
Follow @hollywood_com
//
Follow @julesemm
//

The former stars of defunct Welsh rock group Lostprophets have returned to the spotlight as No Devotion to release a new single on Tuesday (01Jul14). The Streets of Nowhere hitmakers split in October (13) shortly before their frontman Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to a string of sickening sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
The singer was jailed for 35 years, and his former bandmates - Lee Gaze, Mike Lewis, Stuart Richardson, Jamie Oliver and Luke Johnson - have gone on to form a new group without him.
They returned as No Devotion, fronted by former Thursday star Geoff Rickly, and released their debut single, Stay, on Tuesday. They plan to head out on tour later this month (Jul14).

Prospero Pictures/eOne Entertainment
It's the beginning of the summer, which means it's time for Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars to make their way to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, while the rest of us look on with jealousy. But just because you didn't snag a ticket to the most glamorous film event of the year, that doesn't mean you can't keep up with all of the big films premiering over the next two weeks. To help you stay on top of things, we're running down the biggest films that premiered in competition at the festival, including the latest from David Cronenberg, Steve Carell's potential Oscar vehicle and the high-profile movie that opened to worse reviews than Grace of Monaco.
Lost RiverActor Ryan Gosling's dreamy and feverish directorial debut follows Billy (Christina Hendricks) and her son Bones (Ian De Caestecker) as they struggle to survive the economically devastated Detroit-like city of Lost River. Billy goes to desperate lengths to keep her childhood home while Bones resorts to scavenging from local abandoned houses, but a local madman named Bully (Matt Smith) has claimed the entire neighborhood for himself. Lost River screened in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes and was met with mostly boos from the audience. Many critics have cited Gosling's ambition, but have accused the first time director of being derivative of other, more seasoned filmmakers.
“'Lost' is indeed the operative word for this violent fairy tale about a fractured family trying to survive among the ruins of a city overrun by thugs, sexual predators and other demons, nearly all of them cribbed from the surreal cinematic imaginations of other, vastly more intuitive filmmakers. It’s perversely admirable to the extent that Gosling has certainly put himself out there, sans shame or apology, but train-wreck fascination will go only so far to turn this misguided passion project into an item of even remote commercial interest." - Justin Chang, Variety
"The visuals are undeniably dreamy, but they mostly seem borrowed from other filmmakers’ dreams. There’s a Twin Peaks feel of an alternate, off-kilter world to the whole thing, one in which arbitrary, quasi-surrealistic images barge in, sometimes for symbolic reasons, at other times arbitrarily. Many of them relate to ruin and decay—civic, environmental, bodily—and there is a sense of the ghosts who occupy both the ruined homes and the underwater town. As beautifully presented as the imagery is, however, none of it registers deeply because it all seems like borrowed goods. It’s flashy enough to engage the eye, but the experience is akin to flipping through a gorgeous art photography book featuring an assortment of artists rather than one. " - Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
Maps to the Stars David Cronenberg’s latest film follows Agatha (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman who was disfigured in a fire, and moves to LA in an attempt to reconnect with her family… even if they don’t want to reconnect with her. Along the way she befriends a limo driver (Robert Pattinson) and gets a job working for a washed-up movie star Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), who is attempting to land the lead role in a remake of a film that once starred her mother (Sarah Gadon). Meanwhile, Havana's shrink (John Cusack) is raising tween megastar Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird), who at 13 is fresh out of rehab and whose fame allows him to get away with just about anything.
“If Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve and Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon took a bunch of prescription medication, had a two-day three-way and conceived a child, nine months later the child would look something like "Map To The Stars. […] Hollywood's seemed pretty rotten from the off in the film, but as Cronenberg exposes its stinking maggoty core of ghosts, sexual deviancy and cover-ups, the film takes on a nightmarish K-hole tone of its own, while remaining darkly, bitterly funny to the last. LA's rarely seemed as unappealing on screen, which is quite the feat.” – Oliver Lyttelton, The Playlist
“David Cronenberg's new film here at Cannes is a gripping and exquisitely horrible movie about contemporary Hollywood – positively vivisectional in its sadism and scorn. It is twisted, twisty, and very far from all the predictable outsider platitudes about celebrity culture. The status-anxiety, fame-vertigo, sexual satiety and that all-encompassing fear of failure which poisons every triumph are displayed here with an icy new connoisseurship, a kind of extremism which faces down the traditional objection that films like this are secretly infatuated with their subject.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Foxcatcher Based on the true story of the murder of wrestler Dave Schultz, Foxcatcher has emerged from the festival as a major player in next year's Oscars race. Channing Tatum stars as Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler who has long lived in the shadow of his older brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). When Mark gets an invitation from multimillionaire John E. duPont (Steve Carell) to move into his home and train at his facilities, his relationship with his new benefactor turns out ot have dangerous consequences.
"Despite its hefty 134-minute running time, “Foxcatcher” doesn’t have an ounce of the proverbial narrative fat [...] Crucially, this meticulously researched picture feels as authentic in its understanding of character as it does in its unvarnished re-creation of the world of Olympic sports in the late ’80s; rarely onscreen has the art of wrestling, centered around the violent yet intimate spectacle of men’s bodies in furious collision, provided so transfixing a metaphor for the emotional undercurrents raging beneath the surface." - Justin Chang, Variety
"Centered on an astonishing and utterly unexpected serious turn by Steve Carell, this beautifully modulated work has a great deal on its mind about America's privileged class, usurious relationships, men's ways of proving themselves, brotherly bonds and how deeply sublimated urges can assert themselves in the most unsavory ways." - Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
Saint LaurentFocused on the life and career of Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel), the film charts the designer's rise to fame and his relationship with his lover and business partner, Pierre Berge (Jeremie Renier). Written and directed by Bertrand Bonello, it's one of several high-profile biopics in contention at Cannes this year, although similarities to another recent Saint Laurent movie may have been its downfall with critics, as it only earned mixed reviews.
"The point could be to show what it all cost Saint Laurent - and yet it doesn't actually seem to have cost him that much: he grows to a pampered old age, not very conspicuously interested in anyone or anything but his dog. Perhaps it is that they are entirely without affect, like a tableau by Warhol, who writes Saint Laurent a fan letter here. Finally, Saint Laurent is a well made but bafflingly airless and claustrophobic film, like being with fashion's very own Tutenkhamen , living and dying inside his own richly appointed tomb - and sentimentally indulged to the last." - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Perhaps through time this hallucinatory quasi-dream of a biopic will grow in stature, but as first impressions go, the film loves itself so much it renders itself beautiful, but utterly shallow. The messy structure, which includes further time jumps in the future – a random introduction of an older Saint Laurent, the Pierre Berge-handling business affairs at irregular intermissions between exploration of a bored genius, and animal cruelty in the form of a pug OD’ing on pills – doesn’t do the film any favors." - Nikola Grozdanovic, The Playlist
Ego Film Arts/The Film Farm
The Captive Atom Egoyan's latest film centers on the kidnapping of a teenage girl, and the torture that her captor puts her parents through. Eight years after Cass (Alexia Fast) disappeared, her parents (Ryan Reynolds and Mireille Enos) discover disturbing new evidence that leads them to believe that she's still alive, and they desperately attempt to get the police to take their case seriously. The film, which was perceived by many to be a comeback vehicle for both Reynolds and Eyogan, premiered to largely negative reviews, putting it up against Grace of Monaco and Lost River for the biggest disappointment of the festival.
"The plotting here is so hopelessly tangled, clichéd, and bereft of psychological complexity that it's difficult to care what happens to any of these people. That goes even for poor Cass, who seems at times to have a touch of Stockholm syndrome but otherwise just looks bored sitting around on the pink princess bed she's outgrown. As Mika's antics become more bizarre and her distraught dad out of nowhere starts outsmarting her tormentors, the movie goes from uninvolving to risible." - David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
"Any other year, in any other context, The Captive would simply be another overcooked rote thriller that, like so many other films in this genre, totally loses the run of itself in the final act (seriously, Kevin Durand goes so Bond villain that he even has a female henchperson sidekick). [...] Instead, right down to the nearly synonymous title we get a lurid, silly Prisoners me-too (and that film itself was far from flawless) in which the only additions are a flashback-and-forward structure that never works, the kind of contrivance in which a laptop camera accidentally left transmitting records a crucial conversation (perfectly framed) and a crude, distastefully regressive subtheme which suggests that well, of course that this is what happens to girls and to women (even successful, intelligent, independent women) when they are left alone even for a moment by their menfolk." - Jessica Kiang, The Playlist
The Homesman Co-written, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, The Homesman follows a claim jumper and a pioneer woman (Hilary Swank), who accompany three insane women - played by Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto and Sonja Richter - across the border into Iowa. Like several other Cannes contenders, the film has already been receiving awards buzz, thanks to Jones' direction and a powerhouse lead performance from Swank.
"Unlike other actor-directors, Jones never seems to indulge excess on the part of his cast. Though the characters are strong, the performances are understated. Even the three ladies settle into a state of near-catatonia after awhile, rather than indulging their various “hysterias.” In the past, people have whispered about Jones’ attitudes toward women; with this film, he says a thing or two on the subject with a sensitivity that comes as a welcome surprise." - Peter Debruge, Variety
"This is a frontier tale with something of the classic style of Stagecoach or 3:10 to Yuma, but also the consciously grimmer, austerer feel of Kelly Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff and indeed Lee Jones's own The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada. And it is a frontier tale which is swimming against the generic current: most stories like these are about heading west. This is about a trudge in the opposite direction." - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Follow @hollywood_com
//
Follow @julesemm
//

The former members of Welsh rockers Lostprophets are working on new music under a different name following the child abuse conviction of frontman Ian Watkins. The Streets of Nowhere hitmakers split in October (13), shortly before Watkins pleaded guilty to a string of sickening sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby, telling fans they could "no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets".
The singer was jailed for 35 years in December (13), and now the remaining members of the band - Lee Gaze, Mike Lewis, Stuart Richardson, Jamie Oliver and Luke Johnson - have reunited to start anew.
They have teamed up with ex-Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly to record new music for his Collect Records company, although he is only working with them as their label boss.
Discussing the new project, he says, "I think if ever there was a group of people that needed a second chance, it's those guys - and they're going to take full advantage of it. People don't really think of what happens to the other members. That took away their life. What happened is just devastating for them.
"It's been my honour to work with them on their new band from a label perspective. People are not going to know what hit them when the new band comes out. It's like everything I grew up on: a little bit of New Order, a little bit of Joy Division, little bit of The Cure. It's just so forward-thinking."
The name of the new group has yet to be announced.

Director Spike Lee will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his cult movie Do The Right Thing by attending a special screening at the 16th annual Ebertfest in Illinois. The 1989 release, about racial tensions boiling over on a hot day in Brooklyn, New York, won high praise from revered film critic Roger Ebert, who rated the drama four out of five, and now the moviemaker will honour the memory of the late writer by marking the big occasion at the film festival set up in his name.
The event will take place at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign on 25 April (14).
Lee won't be the only director toasting a 25-year milestone at the festival - Oliver Stone will also join fans for a screening of Born on the Fourth of July.
Ebert died in April, 2013, aged 70.